


Goodbye Love

by RyanChildofApollo



Series: Rent: Power Rangers Edition [3]
Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Female!Tommy Oliver, Heavy Angst, Jason is too, M/M, Songfic, absolutely 100 percent, adam is also kind of a bitch, adam is benny, and hella annoying, based on Goodbye Love from Rent, billy is angel, but he's also kind of alright, he's a sad boy, i mean that shit is DEEP, jason is a fusion of collins and mark, kim is maureen, mildy explicit, not angry just really sad, tommy is mimi, trini and kim def fucked after this, trini is joanne, zack is really angry, zack is roger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 04:37:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14229429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyanChildofApollo/pseuds/RyanChildofApollo
Summary: The gang goes to a funeral and shit gets real,realfast.Based on the song Goodbye Love from Rent





	Goodbye Love

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to save this one until after I wrote Take Me or Leave Me, Seasons of Love, and maybe La Vie Boheme but every time this song comes up in my playlist the rangers and how good a songfic of them with this song would be is all I can think about so here we are.
> 
> Also, this is kind of celebratory in a sense, because I got my license today!!!! And I'm super proud of myself for that, and because this is probably the most worthwhile thing I've written in months. And another thing, I should be finished with the Valentines Day edition of Power Hoes (if you haven't read my ridiculously hilarious group chat crack fic yet, you should go check it out) soon. And although its _super_ late, (I think) its really funny, and I'm making it extra long to compensate. 
> 
> So anyway, here's Goodbye Love from RENT, enjoy!!

The gang solemnly walked out of the chapel exiting in staggered intervals. The word of Billy’s funeral was enough to bring them all together again, but they still refused to willingly speak a word to each other. Until the end that is.

Zack was the first to exit, speed walking past the aging tombstones barely being able to even stomach the service. Billy was really gone and he couldn’t believe it. It’s not fair, why do shitty people like him get to live but beautiful people like Billy have to die? He could barely hear Tommie’s weak voice over the sound of his own thoughts crashing with the leaves crunching under his boots.

“It’s true you sold your guitar, and bought a car?” She asked lazily trying to match his pace.

He nodded keeping his pace, “It’s true, I’m leaving now for Santa Fe.” He looked at Adam rushing to close the gap between himself and Tommie out the corner of his eye, “It’s true you’re with this yuppie _scum?”_ He spat giving said scum a once over.

Adam, the yuppie scum, timidly approached placing a gentle hand on Tommie’s shoulder, “You said you’d never speak to him again...” he reminded feeling chill of Zack’s gaze.

“Not now,” Tommie rolled her eyes not here for Adam’s misplaced, invalid jealousy.

“Hey,” Kim interjected disgusted with Adam’s presence alone, “who said that _you,”_ She hits his shoulder with her own as she passed for emphasis, “have any say in who she says things to at all?”

“Yeah,” Zack agreed giving the girl a low five.

Trini sighed at her ex-girlfriend’s immature behavior, “Who said that _you_ should stick your nose in other people’s-?“

Kimberly scoffed whipping her head around narrowing her eyes at the owner of that voice. The one that used to make her go crazy, “Who said I was talking to _you?”_ She scoffed.

Deciding she wouldn’t get anywhere with Kim, Trini made a beeline for Tommie intending to warm her under Zack’s icy shoulder. “We used to have this fight each night,” she paused sending a venomous side eye Kim’s way, “she’d never admit I existed.”

Tommie nodded her head feeling both Trini’s pain and rage alike, “He was the same way.” This claim caused Zack to finally stop turning to face the girl rolling his eyes. “He was always run away, hit the road, don’t commit,” she paused directing an explicitive in Zack’s direction, “you’re full of shit!”

“Tommie,” Adam pleaded.

“She’s in denial.” Trini patronized throwing another indignant glance in Kim's direction.

 _“He’s_ in denial.” Tommie agreed not withering under Zack’s intense stare.

“Didn’t give an inch, when _I_ gave a mile!” Trini declared making Kimberly squirm with the realization that there was some truth to the statement.

 _“I_ gave a mile!” Tommie mimicked causing Zack to chuckle to himself.

“Gave a mile to _who?”_ He asked finally turning to fully face her.

Adam ceased pleading with Tommie, trying with the whole group, “Come on guys, chill.” He pronounced to placate the lovers to no avail.

“I’d be happy to die for a taste of what Billy had! Someone to live for, unafraid to say ‘I love _you!'”_ Trini and Tommie grieved in unison finding comfort in the other’s shared pain.

Zack nodded sarcastically as he walked back down the stairs to meet her face to face, “Oh, your words are nice, Tommie, but loves not a three-way street!” He noted pointing between himself, Tommie and Adam, “You’ll never share real love, until you love yourself,” he paused, his voice shrinking substantially, “I should know...”

Jason approached the two pushing Zack back slightly, “You all said you’d be cool today. So _please,_ for _my_ sake?” He begged breaking his silence, “I can’t believe he’s gone...” he paused swallowing the lump of sorrow in his throat before motioning to Zack, “I can’t believe you’re going. I can’t believe this family must die...Billy helped us believe in love, I can’t believe you disagree...”

The group sobered at the realness of Jason’s words. Billy _had_ made them believe in love again. His beautiful, harmless spirit eased the chaos around him and smoothed out the wrinkles in the dreary edges of reality. And since his passing none of them have been the same, almost as if their last shred of hope had shrivelled up and-

They all shared the same saddened gaze upon the realization of their reunion; Billy was gone. And he was never coming back. And that fucking sucked. But it hurt more because of all people, Billy didn’t deserve to die.

They all mumbled a variation of: “I can’t believe this is, goodbye.”

“Pookie,” Kimberly cooed making her way to Trini and gingerly wiping her tears despite the spat they just had.

“Honey bear,” Trini responded accepting the hug her ex offered.

“I missed you so much,”

“I missed you too,”

“I missed your smell,”

“I missed your mouth,” Trini admitted going in for a kiss.

“Ow,” Kim yelped causing the two to separate.

“What?” Trini remarked, concerned.

“Nothing, Pookie,” Kimberly dismissed shaking her head going in for another kiss.

“No,” Trini denied shaking her head, “baby, you said ‘ow’ what is it?”

“Oh, well, um, you bit my tongue.”

“No, I didn’t.” Trini immediately denied.

“You did, it’s bleeding.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“I think I should know,” Kimberly said indignantly.

“Okay,” Trini accepted, “well, let me see.”

“Oh, so now you don’t believe me,” Kim exasperated.

“No, I was just trying-!”

The two paused realizing really how much they really missed the other, letting out a laugh as they shared yet another embrace. Wordlessly deciding they would leave together, they started in the same direction sending a wave to the others as they walked to Trini’s car arms linked.

A man dressed in ceremonial black robes emerged from the church calling out, “Jason Lee Scott?”

Jason smiled sadly at his friends before heading over to answer the man’s summon.

Zack, on the other hand, took that as the perfect opportunity to leave shoving his hands in his pockets and beginning the trudge towards his apartment building. Tommie tried to get his attention as he passed, but he kept his gaze low and either ignored her or legitimately didn’t see her due to his tendency to only see through tunnel vision and follow a linear path.

“And _stay_ out! We give no handouts here! Not at this church! And don’t you know we don’t accept your _kind_ around here?! I mean it! Get off the premises, queer!” The man screamed slamming the doors as Jason scurried out of the building.

Tommie furrowed her eyebrows in concern, “What happened?”

“Well, just by the looks of us he had to know we couldn’t pay...” Jason hung his head in shame, “and well, you can do the math.”

“Hold on, I’ll take care of this.” Adam patted the broken man’s arm walking towards the church.

He came back out in a matter of minutes civilly shaking hands with the once angered priest.

“Must be nice to have money.” Jason chuckled cynically.

“Yeah, no shit,” Tommie nodded as Adam approached them.

“Hey.” Jason got up giving his old friend a hug in thanks, “Well, I think it’s only fair to tell you that you just paid for the funeral of the man who killed your dog.” He tried unsure of what Adam’s reaction would be.

“I know,” Adam nodded.

“You knew?” Jason echoed in surprise.

“Yeah, I knew.” He confirmed making Tommie and Jason chuckle, “I always hated that dog...now let’s go get drunk.”

“Yes, _please.”_ Tommie groaned following the man, “You coming, Jase?”

“Uh, I don’t know...I mean, I want to. But I should probably go check on you know who, make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” He shrugged before adding, “And we all know I don’t have any money.”

“Come on,” Adam coaxed throwing an arm around his shoulders, “stay for at least one round, on me.”

”Well, as long as you by ‘em, l’chaim.” Jason shrugged following the two to Adam's Lexus. 

 

* * *

 

“So you _did_ come home,” Jason remarked upon seeing Zack brooding on the couch when he entered their studio.

“Yeah, and?”

“Well...nothing.” Jason shook his head sitting next to him, “I hear there are great restaurants out west...”

“Some of the best.” Zack absentmindedly shrugged before thinking out loud, “How could she?”

“How could _you_ let her go?”

“You just don’t know.” Zack shook his head getting up, “How could we lose Billy?”

“Maybe you’ll see why," Jason stood, seeing this conversation as a perfect learning opportunity, "when you stop escaping your pain, at least now if you tried Billy’s death won’t be in vain.”

Zack turned around to face at his friend looking at him like he had three heads, “His death _is_ in vain.”

“Are you _insane?!”_ Jason asked incredulously, “There’s _so_ much to care about! There’s me, there’s Tommie-“

“Tommie’s got her baggage too...”

“So do _you!”_

Zack paused glaring at the man accusingly walking over to get in his face, “Who are _you_ to tell me what I know?”

“A friend.”

“But who, Jason, are _you?”_ He asked his roommate poking his chest with every pause.

"Don't fucking touch me, man." Jason glared back hitting his hand away.

“Jason’s got his work. They say, ‘Jason lives for his work,’ and ‘Jason’s in love with his work,’ Jason _hides_ in his work.”

Jason scrunched his nose at the claims, “From what?”

“From facing your failure, facing your loneliness, facing the fact, you live a lie!” Jason made another face, “Yes, you live a lie! I’ll tell you why, you’re always preaching not to be numb, but that’s how you thrive! You pretend to create and observe, when you really detach from feeling alive-“

Jason clenched his jaw pushing his friend out of his face, “Perhaps, it’s because I’m the one of us, to survive.”

“Oh, you poor fucking baby,” Zack spat pushing back.

That was a new low, especially for Jason. Yes, Zack has HIV. Yes, Zack is dying. But there's not a single attack in the world that could be malicious enough to validate rubbing that in. 

Jason took a moment, sighing. He decided to try to swallow his anger and his pride by sublimating the conversation, “You know, Tommie still loves Zack...is Zack really jealous? Or afraid that Tommie's weak?”

“Tommie _did_ look pale..” Zack noted his voice barely above a whisper.

Jason nodded in agreement not caring that the other man wasn’t looking in his direction, “Tommie’s gotten thin, Tommie’s running out of time! Zack is running out the door!”

“No more!” Zack yelled putting his hands up in defense as if Jason’s words were doing him physical harm. “I've gotta go,” he said collecting his things and rushing out the door.

“Hey!” Jason called, causing him to stop, “For someone who’s always been let down, who’s heading out of town?”

Zack narrowed his eyes, “For someone who longs for a community of his own, who’s with his camera? _Alone."_   The men had a silent standoff, both defeated by the raw truth of the other’s words. After deflating greatly, Zack offered a weak, "I'll call...I hate the fall,” before slamming the door to head out.

As he soon as he turned around he bumped into a tipsy Tommie Oliver, who was on her way to his apartment to speak to him.

He looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights, “You heard?”

“Every word.” She nodded eyes wide in realization causing him to look away in embarrassment, “You don’t want baggage, without lifetime guarantees. You don’t want to watch me die...well, I just came to say goodbye, love. Goodbye, love. Came to say, goodbye, love. Goodbye. Just came to say, goodbye, love. Goodbye, love. Came to say, goodbye, love,”

“Glory, one blaze of glory...” he proclaimed getting lost in her eyes one last time, before panicking, “I have to find...” he said basically running past her and down the stairs to his car.

She followed him watching as he drove away not even noticing Adam or Jason until the latter coughed. Adam tried to offer her comfort as the old car drove out of view, gingerly placing a hand on her shoulder as if he touched her too roughly she might break.

“Goodbye..." she whispered letting the tears streak down her face, "Please don’t touch me,” she flinched, making Adam retract his hand as if he’d been burned, “understand I’m scared. I need to go away.” she turned to face the men looking for answers.

Jason was the first to speak, “I know a place, a clinic,” he offered.

“A rehab?” Adam asked making him nod.

“Maybe, could you..?” Tommie trailed.

“I’ll pay.” Adam nodded knowing the implications of her statement.

 

* * *

 

“Goodbye, love,” Tommie muttered to herself as Adam drove her to the address that Jason gave them. She scratched her neck and coughed knowing she’s been getting worse.

When she and Zack were together she had tried to give up heroin, the same as he did, but it was a feat easier said than done. After the lockout accident and the altercation with Adam on New Years, he didn’t speak to her for a week. And because she was still having withdrawal symptoms that she absolutely could not deal with on her own, she relapsed causing him to break off their relationship completely. She knew what she did was wrong, but she couldn’t understand why he couldn’t see it in his heart to forgive her...

She heard sounds come from Adam’s mouth, but she couldn’t bring herself to listen, or care to decipher what he was saying. But by the fact that they’re parked, and the looks of the place, they must be there. So she opened her car door and got out,

“Hello, disease.” She whispered wholly to herself as she walked into the facility feeling the sterile smell immediately overwhelm her senses.


End file.
